Gilded Beauty: Get The Look

There’s something so special about summer nights. Not the hot, been-at-the-beach-all-day evenings (though they’re great, too), but the glamorous, nighttime roof parties, or the Hampton (or Hampton-esque) fetes celebrated on a beautifully decorated patio overlooking the ocean. You know, those almost other-worldly parties that made you feel like the latest “it girl.”

Finding the right makeup look for such evenings can be a challenge, but you’ll never go wrong with glowing gold. Of course, we don’t suggest using all seven products at once, but each of these items offer superior ways to add a gilded touch to your face, hair, and body.

Looking at it, you wouldn’t guess that this lip balm goes on colorless. But it does, enhancing your own lip shade very slightly, while also adding a touch of shimmer. Makes sense, since Tatcha’s balm is infused with hand laid, 24-karat gold leaf. It crushes on contact, leaving the tiniest of glittering gold specks behind. However, if you just want a straight up shine, the gold will dissolve fully with a quick rub of your finger.

In addition to leaving skin soft, supple, and glowing, Omorovicza’s oil also leaves behind gorgeous gold particles that give your arms, legs and décolletage a sweet and sexy come-hither sheen. It can also be used on your hair, adding a soft and touchable layer of glossy gold. Infused with apricot seed, rice germ, coconut, candula oils,and of course, gold, this shimmer oil is a must for any sexy summer night.

Create a sleek, stunning hairstyle for your next glam cocktail party with this thick, super-potent pomade. Perfect for pulled-back ponytails and stick-straight styles, this rich dressing gives you instant golden highlights, while also nourishing and moisturizing your hair with Pro-Vitamin B5 and other ingredients that condition while adding shine. Plus, humidity is no match for this stuff—we’d be surprised to see one strand pop out of place.

Gold mascara is not for everyone. But if you want to make a statement, it’s a great look as long as the rest of your makeup is kept minimal. Sephora’s Glitter Mascara is pure gold (pun intended), coating lashes with a sparkling, shimmery shade, that’s not too thick, cakey, or clumpy, but definitely adds some major gold sparkle to your eyes. It can also be used as an liner, however I find it a little it too thick and only use it as a mascara. So go ahead, bat those golden lashes and have a ball.

Make Up Forever’s Aqua Liner has long been a favorite of mine because of its ergonomic foam-tip applicator. It makes application incredible easy and accurate for a liquid liner. And in the Diamond Gold shade, it creates the most perfect and precise shimmering lines to compliment your glittering lashes.

If you haven’t tried one of OCC’s Lip Tars, beware. They are highly pigmented lip colors designed to be worn as a shockingly bold shade, or to be toned down by mixing with Clear. You need only a dab to achieve a full effect from Triptych, and honestly, there’s really no way to tone this one down. It delivers a “true, 24 karat metallic gold”, and while it doesn’t actually have gold in it, it certainly looks like it does. You can vary the shade and intensity depending on how much you put on, but one layer is enough to create an intense gold pout.

This oil-free, moisturizing body spray is a great way to give yourself some on-the-go hydration. It’s fast-drying and leaves no greasy shine behind—only velvety smooth, soft skin. And if you use a self-tanner, it will accentuate your faux glow beautifully.